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Greatest legacy for future Filipino generations: Majority Leader Joel Villanueva says the approval of Senate Bill No. 2492 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act on final reading will reinforce the country’s rights as an archipelagic state. He said the legislation would be part of the Philippine’s legal, political and diplomatic strategies in enforcing the rule and law on its maritime domain. Villanueva, who co-authored and co-sponsored the measure, thanked Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino for shepherding the bill and for accepting his amendments, particularly on the clarification of the acts being penalized under the bill and the emphasis that only the high tide features of the Kalayaan Island Group of the West Philippine Sea are capable of generating a territorial sea under Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “We reiterate our commitment in protecting our sovereign rights and preserve our territorial integrity, and our commitment to upholding an international order based on international law. I believe that this law and all our efforts to protect our territorial integrity are among the greatest legacies we can leave for future generations of Filipinos,” Villanueva said Monday, February 26, 2024. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)